A New Page
by Celonhael
Summary: Old fears and a New Page in Life
1. Chapter 1

The sound of rain woke him.  
He came to, feeling drowsy and content. He was warm, still sleepy, and the sound of the rain on the roof over his head was pleasant.  
He yawned, trying to keep quiet so he wouldn't wake anyone else up, and pushed back the blanket that covered him, looking around.  
The hut was empty.  
InuYasha frowned, sitting up.  
The air inside the hut was cold, almost shockingly so. He gazed around the hut in confusion.  
Where were the others?  
Rubbing his eyes slightly, he gazed around again, and suddenly noticed something he hadn't seen before, something that gave him a very bad feeling.  
It wasn't just his friends who weren't in the hut.  
Their things were gone too.  
No sleeping bags or blankets, no pillows, no backpacks. Nothing.  
His hanyou eyes suddenly focused on the fact there was dust on the floor. Dust that hadn't been there for a while. Now it was undisturbed save where he lay. No footprints, nothing.  
"What the hell?"  
His voice seemed shockingly loud in the silence, and growing more and more uneasy, he stood up, brushing aside the blanket he was covered in.  
The blanket fell to the floor.  
A pale green blanket. Old looking, worn.  
InuYasha picked it up, looking at it, the unpleasant feeling in his stomach getting worse.  
His blanket was blue, not green, and it wasn't this old.  
"What the _hell_?"  
He couldn't even scent them in this room.  
InuYasha crossed to the doorflap, crouching, quickly untying it, pushing it back, and stepping outside.  
He froze.  
Last night, as many nights before, they had gone to bed inside Kaede's village, after a day of helping the villagers with some things they needed.  
Now he was looking out over what appeared to be a large lake.  
The water was a dark green, angry-looking, whipped into froth by the winds and rain that lashed the side of the hut.  
"Where the hell am I?" he asked aloud, "Where _is_ everyone? Sango? Kagome? Miroku?"  
Silence. Just the waves of the lake on the shore before him.  
Confusion washed through him. Where where they? Where was _he_? How had he gotten there?  
Now, as always, his first thoughts were for their safety. Were they ok? How had they gotten seperated? Why didn't he remember?  
"InuYasha?"  
He turned, badly startled, to see Tensio standing outside, shielded from the rain from the side of InuYasha's hut. The hanyou InuYasha had met a while back, in the village of the hanyou and demons, watched him closely. His black hair still consisted of many thin braids, all pulled back into a ponytail, his orange eyes still shockingly intent.  
"Tensio? What the hell's going on? What am I doing here? Where are my friends?"  
The older hanyou said nothing, just looked at him silently, a strange look of sorrow on his face. It made InuYasha feel oddly cold.  
"Well!?"  
"You have forgotten again, InuYasha. It happens to you, sometimes, when you have slept deep, and have dreamed of them."  
"What? What are you talking about?"  
Tensio sighed, and shook his head, "I am sorry. I wish you did not have to go through this, over and over again this way."  
The cold feeling got stronger, "What are you talking about? Just tell me where they are. Why don't I remember getting here?"  
Tensio looked out over the water, his voice gentle, "They are gone, InuYasha, remember? They died years ago."  
InuYasha blinked, taking a step back. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, and at the same time, a strange burst of anger rose up in him, "What the hell are you talking about? They're not dead! I was with them last night!"  
"Sango lived the longest, InuYasha, dying at well over 80 years of age, but she was the last. And she has been dead now for over 38 years."  
He looked back at InuYasha, sadness in his eyes, "You keep forgetting, when you sleep deep, and dream of them. I am sorry."  
"No," InuYasha snarled, hands in fists. He was furious, and frantic. Way down deep, a part of him was starting to panic, like a small bird trapped inside, "No, you're lying. I don't know why the hell you're lying, but you're _lying!"_  
"InuYasha-"  
"No! Shut up!"  
"You must listen to m-"  
He turned, bolting from the porch into the rain, trailing a line of frightened curses as he moved, not wanting to hear the other hanyou's words.  
He took three steps when everything went dark.  
Blackness.

******************************

"InuYasha?"  
"InuYasha!"  
He sat up, cursing loudly, fighting with his blanket, cursing, half snarling, _"Shut up!"_  
"Wake up, InuYasha!"  
He pushed the blanket away, wide gold eyes blinking in shock and confusion at the sudden, brilliant burst of morning light.  
Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Shippo all sat in their blankets, looking at him, alarm and confusion on their faces as well.  
"What...what..." his hair was half down over his face, and he blinked through his hair at them, owlishly.  
"You were having another nightmare, I think," Kagome said. She was wearing a light pink t-shirt because of the heat, and she was watching him closely, "At least it _sounded_ like a nightmare."  
With a groan, InuYasha flopped back to the floor, hand over his face, "And I woke you all up again?"  
"Well, to be honest," Miroku said gently, "You don't usually start screaming obscenities quite this early in the morning and it startled us."  
"Sorry," he mumbled, one arm thrown over his face, embarassed. Great. Screaming over a nightmare like a little girl.  
"Well, it's actually growing a little late anyway," Sango said cheerfully, willing to smooth everything over, "We might as well get up."  
Kagome stood up, folding up her blanket, and glanced over at InuYasha. The hanyou was rising, folding up his blanket as well. He kept his eyes on the blanket, face still red.  
"Bad?" she asked softly.  
InuYasha made a shrugging motion, giving the blanket one last, savage, fold, before placing it atop his backpack. For Kagome, that was answer enough.  
She walked to him, placing her own blanket near her blackpack, "You've...InuYasha, you-"  
"Don't say it," he grumbled, "I know."  
She watched his face, "It's just not like you. I mean, it's been, what...almost 2 weeks now since they started? And you've almost had one every 2 days now. These nightmares are really frequent."  
"I know, I _know_." He rubbed his face.  
"You _have_ to talk to Lady Kaede. Or Izumi."  
"No, I _don't_," he said angrilly, keeping his voice low so only Kagome could hear him, "I don't _have_ to do anything."  
"Don't be dumb. Something's bothering you and it's coming to the surface as nightmares."  
"They're just stupid nightmares, they can't actually hurt me. They'll stop."  
Kagome crossed her arms, "If you'd just tell _me_ what they are, at least."  
"I _told_ you, they're stupid and not important. Just drop it."  
"Dreams are often important, InuYasha," Miroku said, seeming to appear out of nowhere next to them, "Maybe you should pay attention to these."  
"I'm _fine_, and this was a _private_ conversation," InuYasha growled.  
"Miroku's right though," Sango said, now joining the growing group, "More than one nightmare is something to look into."  
"Yeah!" Shippo cried, jumping up onto the monk's shoulder, "And they must be bad because you always scream really loud!"  
"Shippo, that's not really helping," Sango said gently, taking the Kitsune off the monk's shoulder.  
InuYasha glared at them, a red line across his cheeks and nose, "Look, I'm not going to go bothering Kaede or Izumi over something as stupid as _bad dreams_. If I keep waking you up, I'll start sleeping outside! End of discussion!"  
Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kagome exchanged a glance as the hanyou stomped off outside, to start a cooking fire.

They sat around the fire outside, it being too warm to have a fire inside the hut. Shortly after the tea started to simmer, Kaede and Izumi came out from the old woman's hut and joined them.  
"What do ye have planned for today?" Kaede asked them.  
"I'm not sure," Sango answered, "I don't think we're actually needed right now around here, are we?"  
"Perhaps not," Kaede said, "Ye all were a great help the last week. There is food stored away, firewood gathered, and water drawn. I do not know what this village would do without ye."  
"Well, hopefully no one will have to find out for a long time," Miroku smiled.  
"Actually, Miroku," Izumi spoke, "If I could speak with you privately today?"  
Miroku looked at the older woman. He remembered she had asked, several weeks ago, if she could talk to him, access his wisdom. It had been shortly before they had left this plane of existance to find someone to help him with a problem.  
As if in memory, his hand ached slightly, the Wind Tunnel seeming to shift in his palm.  
"Of course, Lady Izumi, whenever you wish. Although I do not know what knowledge I could possibly have that would be of any aid to you."  
"You might be surprised," Izumi smiled at him.  
"You know," Sango said, "Why don't we go visit my village again?"  
"You want to go back again?" Kagome asked.  
"Yes," Sango said, and turned, looking at InuYasha, "We haven't conducted the ceremony yet. Kohaku and I are still waiting. I didn't want to rush you, but it's been a while now, and..."  
InuYasha blinked, looking startled, "You...you want to do that now?"  
"Well...I mean, if you don't _want_ to, ani."  
Kagome watched a play of emotions flicker over the hanyou's face. She knew InuYasha hated a huge deal being made over him.  
Sango saw his face as well, and hurried to reassure him, "No big deal, remember? I promised. It would be quiet, and even private if you want, just you, me, and Kohaku."  
"Yeah, I..."  
"He'd love to," Kagome answered for him. InuYasha blinked at her.  
"Are you sure, though? I don't want to rush you, InuYasha."  
"No, it...it's fine. Yeah. We can go."  
Sango's face lit up in a sweet smile, "Wonderful!"  
InuYasha smiled, and turned his gaze to the small fire.  
Sango and Kohaku were going to adopt him.  
He still remembered the night Sango had spoken privately to him, telling him that she and Kohaku had talked it over. They both felt that the hanyou had done so much for them. Fighting for Sango. For Kohaku. Refusing to let Sango take kohaku's life when she thought it was the _only_ way she could save her brother. InuYasha had told her she had to fight, to never give up, ever. He had _refused_ to let her give in to despair, and because of that, had saved Kohaku's life.  
Had saved _her_ life.  
They had grown closer over time, becoming more and more of a brother and a sister. She had told InuYasha that no matter, she would always consider him her brother. And that both her and Kohaku had wanted to give him something he had never really had. A permanent home. A place he could always look at and say he _belonged_ there. It was _his_.  
She had started calling him _ani_ since then.  
Older brother.  
It had been hard for him, but InuYasha had started forcing himself to call her _imouto_ in reply. Little sister. Until it had become easier. He still felt somewhat awkward saying it, but it did come off the tongue easier and easier now.  
He felt unbelievably awkward. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel, and he _hated_ feeling awkward. He would rather face down a thousand demons than feel so confused and awkward. What the hell was he going to do during this ceremony? He'd make an idiot of himself, he was sure of it.  
Now that he thought about it...Miroku had started calling Kagome _imouto_ as well.  
He glanced over at Kagome to see her smiling at him.  
He was instantly wary...what was she smiling about, why was she smiling like that? That was a "Kagome's-up-to-something" smile.  
"Kagome, what ar-"  
"Lady Izumi, InuYasha's been having these nightmares lately. I'm a little worried."  
Izumi and Kaede turned as one, looking at the hanyou, who now suddenly had that "deer-in-the-headlights-" look. He goggled at them, then turned to Kagome, angry, _"Damnit, Kagome!"_  
"Well, _you_ refused to bring it up, so _I_ am!"  
InuYasha slapped a hand over his face, mortified.  
"He keeps having them," Kagome said, "Every two or three days. And they seem to be bad. He often wakes up yelling."  
"What are you nightmares about, InuYasha?" Izumi asked.  
InuYasha dropped his hand, glaring at Kagome for a second (who only glared back), and then shook his head, "I can't remember them."  
Kagome said nothing, not sure if she actually believed him or not.  
"Dreams can be very important, InuYasha," Lady Kaede said, "Especially ones that repeat themselves. Are ye certain ye cannot remember them?"  
"Yeah I'm sure," he said firmly, leaning back and crossing his arms, "They're just stupid dreams, not important."  
"Well," Izumi said, "Sometimes dreams _are_ just that, dreams. Even nightmares. But if they are recurring, that worries me. If you like, InuYasha, Mikado could possibly try and get a reading from you, find out what-"  
"No!" he almost barked, and Izumi blinked.  
"But if-"  
"Just _drop_ it!" InuYasha suddenly growled, standing up, "Let it rest, damnit! It's just some stupid nightmare that I can't remember and isn't important, so shut up about it!"  
Izumi blinked at him again, a little startled, but then nodded, and spoke softly, "As you wish then."  
Muttering lowly, he turned, walking away from the fire, heading out towards the forest.  
Everyone watched him go, silent.  
"That was...unexpected," Miroku said.  
"I'm sorry, Lady Izumi," Kagome said lowly, "I didn't think it was upsetting him that much. I certainly didn't think he'd snap at _you_ like that."  
"It's all well, dear," Izumi said, "But as you said, it _must_ be upsetting him for that reaction."  
She turned and looked at the others gathered around the fire, "Try to see if you can figure out what his nightmares are about. He may drop clues, or be more sensitive to certain topics. If it's interfering with his sleep, it's not good for him."

********************************************

He sat up in a tree, looking out over the forest, arms crossed, tapping fingers on his upper arm.  
He was in a bad mood.  
_Why did Kagome have to go and open her mouth? I didn't want to talk to anyone about it! Especially Izumi or Kaede. She shouldn't have said anything!_  
The dream came back, of waking up in the hut, alone, no sign or scent of his friends.  
Tenshio's face as he told InuYasha his friends had been dead and gone for years.  
The sorrow.  
He clenched his fists.  
_They're not dead. They're here. They're alive._  
A bird called in the distance. He looked out over the top of the trees, a sea of green branches, boughs and leaves. In the distance, pale lavender mountains rose up towards the sky.  
_Damn Tenshio anyway! Why the hell did he have to go and say that to me? It's none of his business! Now I can't stop thinking about it!_  
The words came back to him. The warning. His friends would grow old, and die, and he wouldn't. He would be forced to watch as age stole their youth, their energy, their lives. Leave. Leave now, while they were still alive and young and happy.  
Leave.  
_I __**can't**__ leave! That's stupid. They're my family now. Sango calls me ani. They want to __**adopt**__ me. And...Kagome. We're finally together again. There's no way in this world or any other that I am leaving her now. She's giving me another chance._  
He suddenly remembered Izumi's shocked look when he stood up, angry, yelling at her.  
Guilt swamped through him.  
He didn't want to yell at Izumi. She was...she was almost like an aunt or something. His mother's best friend. The way Kagome and Sango were best friends. And he knew she loved him. She had wanted to _raise_ him!  
_Yeah, well...I'll apologise later, when I go back. I'm not going back yet, they'll just start asking me questions again..._  
A thought suddenly struck him.  
He was supposed to be going with Sango to her village.  
He slapped a hand over his face.

************************************************** *****

"Maybe I should put it off."  
"No, Sango, go pack. If he's not back shortly I'll go find him," Kagome sighed, "I know I shouldn't have told on him that way, but I _am_ worried. And he won't talk about it, so..."  
"I know," Sango agreed. She watched as Izumi and Miroku walked from the village, going to a more private place near a tree, to talk.  
"I wonder what Izumi wants to talk to Miroku about?"  
Kagome shook her head, watching them walk away, "I'm not sure. Izumi seems to think Miroku can help her with something."  
"What on earth could that be?"  
Kagome shook her head.

************************************************** **

They sat beneath a large tree, in the shade; a tall slender lady in a pale blue simple robe, and a shorter monk in dark robes. Miroku made himself confortable, and waited for Izumi to begin talking. He guessed whatever she wanted to talk about must be important, and that she may need to gather her thoughts first.  
After a short while, she spoke.  
"Miroku...when you...when we all...lost...Sango..."  
Miroku blinked, turning to her.  
"...you put aside the robes of the monk. You set aside your vows."  
Miroku grew a little uncomfortable, "Yes...I did. I felt I no longer had the right to wear them, to call myself a monk because of what I saw as my failure to her. I have since learned my mistake, though. You need not worry aboutme."  
"But when Sango was returned to us, you still did not reclaim the robes. Not for a while."  
Miroku turned his gaze from her, towards where Kagome and Sango sat on the little porch of their hut, talking amongst themselves. Occassionally, Sango would raise a hand to her mouth, a gesture the monk could recognise even from here as Sango laughing. When she laughed hard, a true laugh, she always covered her mouth, as if perhaps she was afraid she was being too loud, too shocking.  
"Yes. Because I still felt that way. I felt I had...lost my way."  
When Izumi spoke, her voice was subdued, "Yes. Lost."  
He blinked, turning back to her, to see Izumi looking down at her hands.  
"Lady Izumi?"  
She kept her gaze on her hands for a while, then lifted her head, looking at him. Her eyes were troubled.  
"I...in almost all my years, Miroku, I have always had the presence of my Goddess within me. She was always there."  
"And now she is not," he said, gently.  
"Now she is not," Izumi said, "and I...am...lost. Adrift. I feel as if I am standing on a raft, in the middle of a turbulent river, and it will tip at any moment, throwing me into the water. Where I might drown."  
Silence.  
"How...is this anything like what you felt, dear? If so, how did you...cope?"  
"My Lady, I fear I may not be able to help you. What I felt was very different. _I_ rejected my faith, I turned from it. I felt I was not fit to embrace it. What you are feeling is very different. I have no understanding or knowledge of how it feels to have a God or Goddess a part of my being, or how it must feel to have that taken away, and...I do not know how to advise you.  
I am sorry."  
Izumi watched his face for a moment, and the monk was dismayed to see what may have been the faint shimmer of tears in her eyes before she turned her gaze away.  
"Do not be sorry, Miroku. It is still kind of you to listen to me."  
"Perhaps if you spoke to Mikado?"  
Izumi shook her head, "No. I will not disturb her. She has much to worry about now, and I do not want to burden her with yet something else."  
Silence. In the distance children called, laughing. Miroku watched Sango and Kagome talk, wishing there were something he could do to help the woman at his side.  
"I don't even really know _why_ this has happened to me, Miroku."  
"My Lady...my words may be just that; words. Perhaps they will give you no comfort. But the others and I have been talking, and...we feel the reason this has happened to you may be because you are being blocked from Amaterasu by Keimetsu."  
From the corner of his eye, he saw Izumi turn to him, shocked.  
"You think he has that power?"  
"It is possible, yes," the monki said, turning again to meet her gaze, "He has grown much in strength, Lady. He can reach now into our world and bring into it things of his making. He can't yet appear himself, or so we assume, but he seems to have no trouble opening portals for other things to enter. I believe..."  
Miroku took ahold of his Holy Staff, gazing at the metallic head as he chose his words, "I believe he _has_ grown stronger. And now blocks your connection with the Sun Goddess, because once you became human, he had that power."  
Izumi looked away, away from the village, and pushed a stray lock of hair behind an ear, "Yes. Perhaps you are right. I...I lost my Senmin powers...when I brought InuYasha back from the dead."  
Silence. The children, in the distance, continued to call and laugh.  
Miroku looked at her, speaking softly, "So you _did_ return him to this world."  
Izumi, still looking out towards the forest, nodded, "I did. I found him dead on that island, his own attacks thrown back at him, and dead. And what was I to do? InuTashio and Izayoi's child, dead. Dead long, long before he should be. As Fate Breakers, I cannot know what his appointed time to die is, but surely it was not yet. So soon. And..."  
She looked back at him, smiling sadly, and now there _were_ tears in her eyes, "I should have spoken to Amaterasu first. I should not have acted on my own. As handmaiden, I am not allowed to act on my own, to bring personal wants and needs into my work."  
"But you know InuYasha will be needed for this...Twilight War. Surely you can be forgiven for bringing him back."  
"But I didn't bring him back because he would be needed, Miroku," she smiled through her tears, "I brought him back because I _love_ him and _wanted_ to see him alive. Although he was still needed, I brought him back for purely selfish reasons. And for that, my Senmin powers were taken from me."  
"By Amaterasu?"  
"No. She would not have done this to me. This is just...one of those restrictions that are upon both Senmin and the very Gods alike. Things we cannot do, whether or not the Gods agree. We must not take action for our own desires. Even had Amaterasu told me to do so, I would still have been stripped of all my powers. When Sango died, even Amaterasu would not have been able to bring her back from death's veil. But she found a...a loophole, as it were, keeping Sango's soul from going through the veil in the first place.  
I brought InuYasha back from the veil...and lost my powers."  
"And then brought that falling mountain down upon yourself, to seal the portal."  
"Yes. I had just enough power left for that. But the impact killed me."  
The monk looked at her, "I can't help but wonder how it is that you returned, though."  
Izumi looked towards the village, and spoke, her voice low and soft, "It was a strange journey, with...unexpected help."  
"Kagome tells me Lord Sesshomaru took your body where you wish to lay in death. Did he have anything to do with your return?"  
Izumi looked sharply at him. For his part, Miroku returned her gaze steadily.  
Izumi laughed, "You are a quick one, Miroku. He...did, yes, but not in the way you are thinking. He did not bring me back from the Paths of the Dead, no. But because of him, I _was_ able to return. In a fashion."  
She sighed, brushing her bangs back from her face, "I am sure Kagome stressed to you the importance of...not letting InuYasha know he was dead, Miroku. Nor how I died."  
"Yes, she has. She has also stressed the importance of not letting Lord Sesshomaru know either."  
Izumi looked at him, confused, "Sesshomaru?"  
Miroku looked at her, "If the Lord Sesshomaru discovers you died bringing InuYasha back from the dead, he will most likely go after InuYasha in anger. And that fight will not end well for InuYasha."  
Izumi frowned, "Why on earth would Sesshomaru be angry at InuYasha for that?"  
Miroku said nothing, just gazed back at Izumi silently.  
After a second, Izumi's face reddened, and she leaned back slightly, "Don't be foolish! The Lord Sesshomaru certainly has no such thoughts or feelings for me, Miroku! The very thought is laughable!"  
"And yet Sango, Kagome and I have discussed the Demon Lord seems inclined to listen to you, in a fashion, not to mention seems to take offense at any offense directed towards you. I think he _is_ fond of you, Lady Izumi. Just how fond I cannot know, nor would I try to guess. Lord Sesshomaru is a mystery to everyone, even himself, I imagine."  
Izumi shook her head, not able to believe what Miroku was saying, but said nothing.  
"At any rate," he continued, "I do believe that we will find a way to break his hold over you, Lady Izumi."  
She blinked at him, "How?"  
The monk smiled charmingly at her, "I don't know. But my friends and I have been able to pull some miracles together as of late, and if we put our heads to it, I think something will come up."  
Izumi blinked at him, and then laughed, "You have great faith, Miroku, a true blessing in these times."  
"Indeed."  
She smiled at him, "You had best get ready, I think Sango is just waiting for InuYasha to come back, and then you'll be heading to her village."  
"I think he'll be along soon enough, once he remembers we have plans."  
Izumi nodded, then tilted her head, looking at him closely. Miroku blinked, confused.  
Izumi smiled, "You enjoy going to Sango's village, don't you?"  
"I do," he agreed, "It's always good to see it. The people have returned, and Kohaku is becoming a fine young man. Plus, it's good to see Sango there; she always seems so happy, so much more relaxed than normal."  
"And you enjoy seeing Sango happy."  
Miroku glanced at Izumi, "Ah, well..."  
Izumi smiled, "Come now, Miroku. Remember what I told you when Sango was returned to us."  
The monk turned, looking back at Sango and Kagome again, and spoke, his voice soft, "I do, Lady. I do."  
"Well then," Izumi said gently, "I should let you go and get ready to travel. I'm sure InuYasha will be al - ah. There he is now."  
They both watched as InuYasha stepped from the forest, walking towards the hut. His arms were crossed in an oh-so-familiar manner.  
"He never really changes, does he?" Izumi asked fondly.  
"Thank the Gods," Miroku replied warmly, and with a smile, rose, and walked to join his friends.


	2. Sango's village, Attack in the forest

The trip to Sango's village was quiet and peaceful. Miroku, Kagome, Shippo, and Sango flew atop Kirara, while InuYasha, as usual, preferred to run along the ground below.  
"I haven't seen it since you clan started repairing it," Kagome said.  
"It's quite impressive," Miroku said, "Although I, personally, can't say if it's different now or not. Unfortunately, the only time we saw it, Sango, was shortly after it had been destroyed by Naraku."  
"It's come together quite well," Sango said, proudly, "We've made it bigger, elongating the wall that runs around it. We have a larger area for the horses now. And we made our central pond larger by digging it out a bit and damming up the river for a while."  
Miroku remembered the pond - a small lake, really - remembered Sango being thrown hard into the middle of it, knocked unconscious by her opponant. That was when that terrible man had arrived, claiming the village - and Sango - now belonged to him, as stated by her father in his will.  
A _forged_ will.  
Kagome glanced down at the crimson and silver blur keeping pace with thme below, wondering what was going through the hanyou's mind at the moment.

**********************************  
_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_  
It felt good to run, to really stretch his legs, but his mind was running faster than his feet.  
What was he going to be expected to do at this...ceremony thing?  
Sango knew he hated big, flashy ceremonies and things. He didn't know what he was supposed to do or say. He always felt so damned _awkward_!  
_Well, she __**said**__ it was going to be a private thing, so it would just be me, her and Kohaku. I can do that._  
He ran on.  
He still felt weird thinking about being _adopted_. He wasn't a kid, so he really didn't _need_ to be adopted. He was more than capable of looking after himself. And while he knew that sometimes adults were adopted in times when a family needed to be enlarged...like if a family needed a son to carry on a title, but the son died in a war. Or if a daughter was needed to make a wedding arrangement. In those cases, adults would be adopted into a family.  
But this wasn't either of those situations. This was...  
This was Sango and Kohaku _wanting_ to be able to legally call InuYasha "brother". To give him, legally, a place that could never be taken away from him. To always have a physical place he could go to rest, or heal.  
That made him feel so _strange_.  
He cleared a large boulder, easily soaring from one spot to another, and he glanced up at Kirara, flying overhead.  
From here he could just make her out, leaning back to talk to Miroku and Kagome, a smile on her face, laughing.  
He faintly smiled.  
Good. Sango needed to smile more.

************************************************** *******  
Back at Kaede's village, Izumi finished washing the vegetables she had pulled from the old Priestess' garden, and laid them out on a piece of cloth. She was considering making a nice soup this evening, after purchasing a chicken from a travelling merchant. Such meat was rare around here, and she had decided on making a nice treat for herself and Kaede this evening.  
Izumi enjoyed talking to the old Priestess. Kaede had great knowledge about things, things that Izumi herself didn't know. Mostly knowledge about people, who lived where, what they did. She also knew a great deal about healing.  
No longer Senmin, Izumi couldn't just call on her powers to heal anyone should they need it. She found the process of the human body healing itself, with a little help from various herbs and foods, fascinating. Not just interested in learning what food healed, she would ask _why_ and _how_ it worked.  
For her part, Kaede was enjoying talking to Izumi. Although she would never admit it, the old Priestess became lonely sometimes, but it could be difficult to find someone in the village who had more than a basic, rudimentary knowledge. They were kindly people, but Kaede couldn't truly _talk_ to a lot of the women there. So both women enjoyed each other's company.  
Izumi gazed out the doorway of Kaede's hut, where she knelt, gazing out over the village. It was small, and not very rich. Yet she was starting to enjoy it there. No demands were made on her, her time was her own.  
Although that could be boring...  
She smiled to herself. To think that she, Handmaiden of Amaterasu, would be kneeling inside a small hut washing and peeling vegetables. That she would have the _time_ to enjoy such simple things...  
A flash in the forest caught her attention; a small silvery flash, there, and gone, within seconds.  
Izumi paused, frowning. What on earth was that? There were no silver animals about that she knew of...  
Suddenly, an image popped into her head, of the Demon Lord. The color she had seen in amongst the brush was very alike his clothing.  
What would Lord Sesshomaru be doing, hanging around the village? Was Rin going to visit again?  
Suddenly, Izumi was overwhelmed to see the Demon Lord again, just to... _see_ him.  
She leaned back slightly, laying down the knife she had been using to peel the vegetables, looking down at her hands.  
What was moving her so?  
Any other time, Izumi would have taken such a strong emotion to mean the Demon Lord might have been in trouble, or that something momentus was about to happen. She would have put it to her abilities.  
But now she had none. She was simply a human.  
She remembered his last words to her, in that cold, acidic tone he had: _"There is nothing you can offer her now. You are less than useless to her."_  
Izumi also remembered what she had said in return, hurting from his words.._"You might as well be blind. Or deaf. Your father was the strongest person I ever knew, Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Reaches. And yet you were never able to overpower him. Which of you is weaker?"_  
There had been anger in his eyes, such anger. The glint of fury had been cold as ice, and in truth, Izumi had fully expected to be struck for that. And was more than a little surprised she hadn't been.  
She had walked away from him, and had expected to be struck...and had grieved inside, that her and the son of her dearest friend had said such cruel things to each other...and grieved that she had fought with someone she considered a friend.  
_I should not leave here,_ she thought, _It would most likely not be a good meeting, now, after having said such things. Surely whatever friendsheip we had shared is now gone._  
Another image coming to her, startling and vivid in her memory; of standing on the beach, at night, the smell of the sea in her nose. Stars overhead. The Demon Lord standing before her, like a tall silver flame, his eyes taking on a cool luminosity in the low light, like some strange animal, feral and dangerous. She had no memory of who she was, at that time, and he had spoken to her, asking if she did not remember him. And he had...  
She paused, going still, thinking.  
He had stepped towards her, and had said something to the effect of seeing if there wasn't some memory of him within her after all, and he had...he had...  
_What_ had he been going to do?  
He had moved towards her, effectively pinning her against that pillar, and had walked towards her, and had...leaned forward...  
His breath on her face...  
Subconsciously, Izumi raised her hand, lightly touching her lips.  
Surely...surely the Demon Lord hadn't been about to _kiss_ her?  
Why on _earth_...?  
Before she knew what she was doing, Izumi rose, picking up her sword - the one she recieved from the small fishing village - and started walking towards the forest, where she had last seen the silvery glint.  
_What on earth are you doing, you silly fool?_ she asked herself, shocked at her actions.  
_I don't know_, she answered herself, _I guess I shall have to see._

*************************************************

Sango's village came into view, and Kagome blinked. She gazed out and down in wonder at the size of the village, the houses and buildings, and the people.  
"Sango, this is...so big! It looks wonderful!"  
Sango smiled back at Kagome, "Thank you! They worked so hard to restore it, I'm so proud of them."  
Kirara roared a greeting as she passed overhead - startling the horses into rearing up and whinnying.  
Sango patted Kirara, "Behave, you goose."  
The giant feline landed down in the courtyard, and Sango, Kagome, and Miroku slid off. InuYasha easily leapt the fence surrounding the village, and walked up to stand beside them.  
Mutaki, the elder woman approached, a huge smile on her face. Her greying hair was tied up in a red scarf, simple pants and blouse a pleasant blue. She enfolded Sango in her arms, hugging her tight, "Sango!"  
"Mutaki, it's so good to see you again."  
"And it is always good to see you again, Sango." Mutaki held Sango out at arm's length, looking her over, "You've lost weight, child! Tsk. I'll have to take care of that right away."  
Sango laughed.  
Mutaki then turned her attention to the monk, "Miroku! It is good to see you again as well!"  
"And good day to you, Mutaki."  
"I see you're filling out quite nicely!"  
"Er..." Miroku wasn't entirely sure how to answer that, but the old woman turned her attention to the three newcomers.  
"And these are your friends, then? Kagome, InuYasha, and the little one must be Shippo! I have heard all about your bravery, Kitsune!"  
"You have!?" Shippo blinked, then puffed out his little chest, "I mean, it's nice to hear Sango's been telling you all about me!"  
"Welcome to our village. Please, consider it yours."  
"Thank you," Kagome smiled sweetly at the older woman.  
"Where is Kohaku?" Sango asked, looking around.  
"Ah. Kohaku and some of the other demon hunters are out on a job. There was small group of people came looking for help. It has been a long time since our village saw work again. It is a good job."  
"And Kohaku is leading them?" Sango asked, eagerly.  
"Nooo," Mutaki said slowly, "Not exactly. That is to say, Tatsuo is leading, but he is helping Kohaku become a good leader. Kohaku is still nervous about leading anyone, and wishes for Tatsuo to lead. But Tatsuo advises Kohaku. In this way, Kohaku is leading with a season hunter's experience."  
"Good," Sango smiled, "Kohaku will make an excellent leader, once he gets a little older, and becomes more confident in himself."  
"I will make sure there is enough food for all of us this evening. Not that I am complaining, but why have you decided to come visit?"  
"Ah, well..." Sango pointedly did not look at InuYasha, "There are a few things Kohaku and I need to see to, concerning family. Plus, I wanted to see him again."  
"Yes, of course," Mutaku smiled, and turned, "I'll go talk to the cooks. Kohaku and the others should be here soon."  
"Thank you."  
Several more people from the village approached, and warmly greeted Sango and Miroku, remembering the monk from his last few visits there. They talked to them about things and people neither Kagome, Shippo, or InuYasha knew.  
InuYasha watched as people approached Sango, glad to see her again, eager to talk to her. It was very apparent to the hanyou that she was loved very much, and that they would be pleased if she decided to stay and lead the village, the way her father did.  
_I don't know anyone here...I can't just...interrupt things here like this. They'll all think I want to lead this place, or something. I'm older than Sango, wouldn't that basically mean that I'm supposed to be in charge or something?_  
Kagome glanced over at him, frowning slightly at the look on his face.  
"InuYasha, are you ok?"  
"What? Oh...yeah...fine."  
"You sure? You look kinda...nervous."  
"Why would I be nervous?" he asked, a little snappily, "everything's fine. _I'm_ fine."  
"O...k then."  
Sango turned to them, eyes sparkling, "Come on, I want to show you my favourite places here."

***************************************  
"...and that over there is where I would go to practice using my Hiraikotsu. There's a lot of space to learn how to throw it so it would curve and come back to me."  
"It must have been a hard weapon to master, Sango," Kagome said.  
"It was," Sango laughed, blushing prettily, "I can't tell you how many times I hit myself in the head trying to catch it again. Of course, it was just a little one, very light. But still."  
"Sister!"  
They turned to see Kohaku running towards them, grinning.  
"Kohaku!"  
Brother and sister ran to each other, and threw their arms around each other, hugging tightly, laughing. Kagome noticed right away that Kohaku's eyes were on a level with Sango's shoulders now. He was growing, and was quickly catching up to his sister.  
"I heard from the others that you're back. And you all came this time!" he laughed.  
"I thought I'd show everyone our village, now that it's back up and rebuilt the way it was."  
"That's great!" Kohaku exclaimed, and suddenly, his voice let out a resounding squeak mid-word.  
Everyone stopped.  
The young boy's face blossomed brilliantly, and looked miserable.  
"Ah," Miroku said, kindly, "The voice-demons have gotten a hold on you then?"  
"Something like that," Kohaku mumbled, looking down at his feet, scratching at the back of his head.  
Sango smiled fondly at her little brother, and slung an arm around him, "How did the hunting go?"  
"Pretty good," he said, looking up at her, keeping his voice level, "We killed two that were scaring some farmers."  
"Great. You can tell us all about it over supper, then. Tomorrow, InuYasha and I will visit the cave."  
Kohaku blinked, then looked over at the hanyou, a smile on his face, "Alright."  
InuYasha looked at Sango, "A cave?"  
She nodded, "It's where one of our ancestors had himself interred when he died. He asked that every new member of the family be brought to the cave and introduced."  
InuYasha blinked at her, "Introduced to a _dead guy_?"  
"InuYasha," Kagome chided.  
"No! I mean...yeah, that...that's..."  
Sango and Kohaku smiled, "I know it must sound strange to you, InuYasha, but it's been a family tradition now for many generations. Both my father, myself, and Kohaku were brought to that cavern when we were born. You're not a child, but it still holds."  
"Ok then. If that's how it's done, then, yeah, ok."  
"Until then, make yourself at home, all of you. Look around, don't be shy."  
Sango and Kohaku turned, walking back towards the center of the village, arm in arm. Miroku spoke to Kagome, "I swear Kohaku's grown almost a complete foot since I saw him last."  
"He's hitting his growth spurt," Kagome smiled fondly.  
"And now his voice is changing," Miroku smiled, "I don't envy him. It can be a very embarassing time for a young man."  
Kagome suddenly got a mental image of both Miroku and InuYasha, younger than they are now, squeaking and cracking as they spoke. She giggled.  
"What's so funny?" InuYasha asked, curious.  
"Nothing, nothing," Kagome lied, "Just remembered something funny."  
Miroku, however, grinned at her, knowing what she had probably imagined, "I remember I spent a great deal of time keeping to the back rooms as often as I could. There's nothing quite as embarassing as trying to appear as an apprentice monk, very serious, in the middle of some ritual, and suddenly sound as if there is a mouse living in your chest."  
Kagome burst out laughing again, putting a hand over her mouth, "I'm sorry, Miroku."  
"Nonsense," Miroku said, smiling, "It's really nothing _to_ be embarassed about, as every young man goes through it. Still, when you are that age, so desperate for people around you to take you seriously, having your own voice betray you can be rather humiliating, as I'm sure InuYasha can attest to."  
InuYasha looked at Miroku, confused, "What do you mean?"  
The monk smiled, "Come come now, InuYasha. You haven't the voice of a maiden, you must have gone through it as well, your voice changing as you became a man."  
InuYasha shrugged, "I guess so, I never really noticed." He watched Sango and Kohaku walk away, watching them weave through the people in the village. Was he honestly ready for this?  
Miroku caught Kagome's eye, and winked, "Oh? Never noticed? Did you just wake up one day, then, with the voice you have now?"  
Still watching Sango and Kohaku dissapear into the crowd, he shrugged, "No, it probably changed. But I didn't have anyone to talk to, so I didn't speak much."  
The smile dropped from the monk's face as if shattered glass, and he looked stricken. He opened his mouth to say something - what he didn't know - but InuYasha took off towards Sango, "I gotta talk to Sango for a second, be right back."  
Kagome and Miroku watched the hanyou dart into the crowd, a crimson kits swallowed up by more mundane browns, greys and blues.  
Miroku raised a hand, and lightly bopped himself on the forehead, "Curse my tongue, sometimes I speak without thinking."  
"It's ok," Kagome said gently, patting the monk on the shoulder.  
"Sometimes I forget what his life was like. Must have been like. He seems so...well adjusted now. Well...perhaps that's a bit too much, but...you'd never think he had been alone for so long, on his own. I wish I hadn't said anything. You don't think I hurt him, do you?"  
Kagome smiled, "To be honest, I don't think he even really heard what you asked him. He's really nervous about this ceremony."  
"It must be a big deal for him."  
"It is. And you know InuYasha. Anything that makes him _feel_ something he's not used to feeling makes him feel awkward and uneasy, and that makes him blustery and grouchy."  
"Well, it _is_ a big deal. It's a new page in his life, after all."  
Kagome nodded.

************************************************** ***********************

In the forest, Izumi walked, looking up at the trees overhead. The leaves were trying to turn green again, thinking that summer had returned. It was almost early winter now, and they should be settling down. But the heat wave was still not breaking, and the trees were confused.  
_We could use more rain again,_ she thought, holding her sword in her hand, loosely.  
Birds called in the canopy overhead, and she gazed up towards them, feeling melancholy. The birds always used to gather around her, singing, talking, gathering about her.  
Once she became human, they avoided her, the way they would any human. Izumi was a little startled that she missed them as well. They were always such sweet company.  
Her eyes travelled over the ground before her, as if searching for some tell-tale signs. It was a little while before she admitted to herself that she was looking for very specific animal prints - the prints Ah and Un left behind when he walked.  
_You're acting quite silly,_ she chided herself, _Like a little girl. You're a grown woman. You can't be just out running around because you thought you saw someone._  
Once again, as she had done many, many times before, she cast out with her mind, trying desperately to find her connection with Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. As before, there was nothing out there, just her own mind. Often, a part of her wondered if she would be able to reach her Goddess if she held her symbol of office, the amulet she always wore before. The amulet was a sunburst shape, and it was both a symbol of her title, and a symbol of the love she carried for Amaterasu. Now she felt naked without it.  
_No, that is silly. My powers did not stem from the amulet, they came because I was Senmin, a power given to me by Amaterasu. No pendant will return to me what I have lost._  
A wave of grief and despair swept over her, but she pushed it back. She would not grieve. She would continue working as to her abilities, and keep the faith, as Miroku said, and hope that soon she would be reunited with her Goddess.  
"Handmaiden?"  
Startled, Izumi turned, looking behind her.  
A tall man stood there, watching her calmly. He was half in shadow, his features obscured. He stood in the middle of the path.  
"H-Hello?" Izumi hesitantly greeted the other. She hadn't heard him approach...had she been that far out of it?  
"Handmaiden Izumi," the man said again, and walked towards her.  
As she had noticed before, he was tall, a little taller than she herself was. He was slender, and his skin was fair. He wore dark blue pants, similar to hakama, and a paler blue shirt. It was similar to a haori, but the sleeves were not nearly as full as InuYasha's. His haori was decorated with navy blue pinwheels.  
His hair was midnight black, as black as her own, although his came only to just beyond his shoulders. It was worn loose.  
Izumi started to get a strange sensation from this man, a sense of alarm. He seemed to know her, but she did not recognise his face at all.  
"Can I help you?"  
The man stopped several feet away from her. His eyes seemed to be very black, and it was then Izumi suddenly realized he was not human after all, but a demon. His pointed ears gave that away. That, and the fact there was what looked like tiny nubs of horns, just barely protruding from the hair at his temples.  
"Do you not recognise me, Handmaiden?"  
"I...I'm sorry," Izumi casually took her sword sheath in her other hand, as if merely adjusting it for comfort. In fact, she was getting ready to pull it should the need arise. The way the demon was looking at her, no emotion on his face, was starting to make her feel more and more uneasy.  
"You are sorry?"  
"I don't recognise you, no. Although you clearly have me at a disadvantage, because you seem to know me. Or _knew_ me, at any rate."  
"Knew you?"  
Izumi said nothing else, not sure how much to give away.  
_This is a demon,_ she said to herself, _There's no reason to lie, I'm sure he can tell that I am now just a human. Lying will get me nowhere._  
"I'm afraid I am no longer a Handmaiden. Perhaps if you gave me your name, I would be able to help you...?"  
Silence.  
Growing more and more uneasy, Izumi took a single step backwards, "Your name, please."  
"You are merely a human, now."  
"I...yes."  
"I see."  
With that, the demon took a single step forward. Before Izumi's shocked eyes, in one blurring motion, the demon drew a sword from his back, and lunged forward on one leg.  
A horrible burning, stabbing pain shot through her leg, and she staggered, unable to move fast enough to even draw her own blade, let alone try to block his attack. Her right leg flared agony, and she gasped, staggering backwards to fall over onto her bottom.  
Izumi grasped her upper thigh where the pain radiated, shocked to see red seeping through the clothing in a large splotch on the front.  
In pain, she looked up as the demon approached slowly.  
Gasping in pain again, Izumi half crawled backwards, grabbing up her sword as she went. She hobbled up onto her feet, favoring her injured leg. She drew her sword, holding it out before her.  
"Who are you? Why do you attack!?"  
"Amazing," the demon said, walking towards her again, "You truly do _not_ remember, do you?"  
Izumi slowly staggered backwards, trying to put some space between the demon and herself. Every time she put weight on her right foot, pain shot up her leg.  
"No, I do not..." she stumbled, almost fell, but somehow kept her balance, "I do not know you!"  
"My name is Kenpeki. Does that not tell you what you wish to know?"  
Izumi's mind swirled, trying to place the name. She fought to remember. Kenpeki...Kenpeki...she knew that name from _somewhere_...  
"I..."  
"You still do not remember."  
A lightning fast move again. Izumi tried to bring up her sword to block his, but she was slow, far too slow. Her sword tip merely clanged off his blade as it flew forward, the tip sinking deep into the space between her right collarbone and shoulder. The force of his strike knocked her backwards, against a tree.  
Izumi shrieked, bringing up her sword. She battered uselessly at his blade for a second before her right arm went numb, and the blade fell from her hand. She knew it was useless to grab at the blade - that would only result in lost fingers.  
Kenpeki slowly turned the blade, still in Izumi's shoulder, "Are you truly certain you cannot remember me, Handmaiden Izumi?"  
"Yes!" Izumi cried, shuddering, shrieking once, "Yes, I am certain! Please! I do not know why you are attacking me!"  
Kenpeki left the blade in her shoulder for a moment longer, before yanking it back out.  
Izumi cried out, falling to her knees. She grabbed her right shoulder with her left hand, hunched over, shuddering. Tears of pain filled her eyes, dropping down onto her chest.  
She gasped in shuddering breaths, gathering her strength for a moment, before lifting her head and looking up, "I swear to you. I do not know why you are attacking me."  
Anger crossed the handsome demon's face, and he lifted his blade.  
"That, does _not_ improve my mood."  
Izumi cried out, raising her arms to try and defend herself as best she was able.


	3. A Demon Lord's Battle

_**The following fight scene was inspired by "The Art of War" by VNV Nation. **_

Izumi cried out, her hand raised to try and block the blow.  
There was a deafening _clang_ as blade met blade.  
Blinking, Izumi leaned back, trying to catch her breath, watching, shocked, at the blade tip that hovered about a foot away from her.  
Kenpeki's blade, which was caught neatly by the Demon Lord's Tokijin.  
There was utter silence in the forest, both Izumi and Kenpeki somewhat startled at Sesshomaru's sudden appearance.  
Flexing his arm, Sesshomaru pushed back against Kenpeki's sword, driving the other demon back several steps. Kenpeki fought against the Demon Lord's strength for a second, before allowing himself to be forced back. He darted back several feet, and stood, watching silently, as Sesshomaru straightened up and turned, facing him.  
"Who are you?" Sesshomaru asked calmly, in a curious tone.  
"What does it matter to you?" Kenpeki said, in an equally calm yet curious tone, "What I do is none of your concern."  
"Everything that transpires in this forest is my concern," Sesshomaru countered.  
Behind the Demon Lord, Izumi reached back, grasping the tree, and fighting her way to a standing position. She clutched her shoulder, her blood hot beneath her hand. Her leg ached.  
"His name...is Kenpeki," Izumi panted, "and apparently ... I should know him. Unforunately, I do not. I have no memory of him."  
"Huh. Kenpeki. I have no knowledge of you either. You do not come from these parts, do you?"  
Kenpeki's gaze moved from Sesshomaru to Izumi, and back again.  
"Is the Handmaiden under your protection, then?"  
"You did not answer my question. I will repeat it, in case you did not understand," the Demon Lord replied, in that same cool, curious tone, "You are not from here, are you?"  
There was a slight tightening around Kenpeki's eyes, his only indication that the Demon Lord's arrogance annoyed him. He lifted his head slightly, "I do not. My lands reside further south."  
"Then what brings you here."  
Kenpeki raised his sword again, pointing the tip towards Izumi, "She does."  
Lord Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at Izumi, as if perhaps just now noticing she was there. He looked her over for a second, then back again to the other demon.  
"What is there about her that would bring you all the way here to attack her?"  
Kenpeki lowered his sword, "As I said before, it is none of your concern. Be on your way, lest I am forced to deal with you."  
Sesshomaru was silent.  
A slight breeze came up, playing with the Demon Lord's clothing, his long silver hair. It tugged at Kenpeki's clothing and hair as well, lightly toying with it.  
_They are so alike,_ Izumi thought, _Like mirror images of each other, one light, the other dark. Gods Above, who is he?_  
"My name is Lord Sesshomaru, of the Western Reaches," Sesshomaru spoke cooly, "I will _not_ "be on my way". You will tell me what interest you have in the woman."  
"Sesshomaru? I have not heard of you before. Your name is unknown to me."  
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes; his only motion.  
"As for that woman," Kenpeki said, "She and I have unfinished business to attend to. Business started long ago."  
"Tell me who you are!" Izumi suddenly cried out, "If I have wronged you in some manner, tell me, that I may make amends!"  
"Your inability to remember me insults me," Kenpeki said, his voice suddenly betraying some of the anger inside. He quickly smothered it down, smoothing out his voice again, "but it was so long ago. And perhaps your mind is slipping due to your age, hmm?"  
Izumi said nothing. There was silence.  
"I am Kenpeki," Kenpeki said, "And I was the First General of the Army of Dakai. _Now_ do you remember?"  
Behind him, Sesshomaru heard Izumi gasp. Then her voice, sharp and angry, and shrill with emotion.  
"You! Betrayer! Traitor! So many deaths are on your head!"  
Kenpeki suddenly smiled, "Ahhh. _Now_ you remember me."  
_"Yes_ I remember you. I remember those you killed as well, betrayer! A bounty was put on your head!"  
"And yet no one has claimed it," Kenpeki smiled. The smile faded, "You ruined my chance to join his army you know. I could have been so powerful."  
"What are you speaking of?" Sesshomaru suddenly spoke, his normally cool voice tinged with annoyance.  
Kenpeki spoke before Izumi could, "I was a great general long, long ago. And _this_ bitch interfered, and ruied my chances. She went out of her way to block my advancement!"  
Sesshomaru glanced behind him again, at Izumi, curious.  
Izumi still held her shoulder. She was pale, and shivering, but her anger rose a heat in her eyes, and in her voice as she spoke.  
"Kenpeki was supposed to lead two branches of our army against our enemy. His name was Oogantaru, and he was working for _Keimetsu_!"  
"Keimetsu?"  
She nodded, "This was his first attempt at coming into this plane, Lord Sesshomaru. He wasn't as strong at the time, and needed to use a human general to arrange an army. In much the same way Keimetsu is using Omek today. Kenpeki led our soldiers into a valley, and led them to the slaughter!"  
Kenpeki laughed, "You were such fools, you and your allies. Did you really think I would remain with you, fighting on your side, when you offered me nothing? Oogantaru offered me powers and riches beyond anything I could imagine!"  
"Betrayer!"  
"I was a _soldier_, Handmaiden. Soldiers _rise in ranks_. I was promised my own army, my own Shoganate if I agreed. It is not my fault you and yours couldn't offer me anything useful."  
"300 men and demons, slaughtered on the field! You have no honour!"  
Kenpeki's face darkened slightly, "Do not speak to me of honour, woman. You went out of your way to destroy Oogantaru and any remains of his army. You ensured I was unable to contact Keimetsu, you and _him_. _He_ sealed me beneath a temple, and I was only able to break out after 100 years had passed!"  
Izumi said nothing.  
"I searched for him, but heard he was dead. His sealing me forced me to go South, to stay down there. It is only recently I have been able to come this far north. Now I search for you and any of his associates to kill, for revenge."  
"You should have stayed in the south," Lord Sesshomaru said, "You will find no revenge here. Return to your place of dwelling."  
Kenpeki frowned slightly, "Are you trying to tell me that you think you're going to protect this woman?"  
Sesshomaru paused, looking curiously at the other demon, "I fail to see what business that is to you. Know that I will not allow any harm to come to her, for reasons of my own. You would do well to give up on this idea of revenge now, before I am forced to kill you."  
Sesshomaru turned, sheathing Tokijin, and approached Izumi.  
His eyes roamed over her form, noticing her shoulder and leg, "Do you think you can walk, Izumi?"  
"I..yes, if I go slowly. Please...let's leave here, quickly."  
The Demon Lord looked at Izumi, arching a brow slightly. She seemed frightened. Had Kenpeki truly scared her that much?  
"I do not recall giving you permission to leave," Kenpeki stated behind him.  
Sesshomaru didn't turn, "And what gives you the idea that I need your permission to do anything?"  
"I will kill you, if you try to leave with her. Give her to me, demon."  
Sesshomaru paused, and turned, looking back at Kenpeki. Beside him, Izumi gripped his sleeve, "Sesshomaru, please." Her voice was lowered, almost a whisper.  
Sesshomaru looked at Izumi again, a faint frown on his brow. He looked back to Kenpeki.  
"I am a Demon Lord, and you will address me as such."  
Kenpeki was silent for a second, then he frowned as well.  
"You look like him."  
Izumi's hands tightened on Sesshomaru's sleeve.  
"And whom do I look like?"  
Kenpeki scowled, "The one with her. The one that sealed me and banished me."  
"InuTashio."  
Silence.  
Izumi's voice was small, "Lord Sesshomaru, we must leave here, please."  
Sesshomaru didn't seem to hear her. He spoke, his voice calm and curious.  
"InuTashio? He was the one you fought against, with Izumi? He was the one that sealed you?"  
"Yes. You look like him. You are related?"  
"He was my father."  
Silence.  
"Well then," Kenpeki smiled coldly, "Perhaps this day will not be a waste after all."  
He raised his sword, and beckoned, "Come, then, and fall in your father's place."  
Sesshomaru was still, silent, for a second. He turned, facing Kenpeki fully, then drew Tokijin.  
"Lord Sesshomaru," Izumi spoke lowly, "Please."  
He glanced aside towards Izumi, not turning. An arching of the brow was the only motion.  
Izumi went to speak, then stopped. There was no way the Demon Lord would let Kenpeki's taunts pass. His arrogance insisted on retribution, and the fact Kenpeki was an enemy of his father's only increased his desire to destroy him.  
Instead, Izumi slowly get go of the Demon Lord's sleeve, and spoke quietly, "Try not to let him goad you into entering your true form, Lord Sesshomaru. I remember there was something your father said about it, that once in his true form, Kenpeki became somehow _harder_ to defeat."  
Sesshomaru said nothing.  
"Forewarned is forarmed," Izumi said weakly, stepping back.  
The Demon Lord stepped forward several steps, holding Tokijin in one hand. His other hand hung loosely - he had mastered Tokijin before receiving his other arm and so hardly used it.  
Kenpeki smiled coldly, holding his sword out before him, going still.  
A slight breeze came up, ruffling the leaves of the trees, the shrubs. A faint curl of dust rippled along the ground, and still nothing moved.  
It was silent.  
To Izumi, it seemed time stopped. Neither swordsmen moved, neither spoke. Each silently regarded the other, like two statues gazing at each other across the clearing.  
Not even a bird called.  
Izumi moved back slightly, leaning back against the tree she had fallen against earlier, using it to prop herself up, and went still.  
Still, silence.  
Suddenly, shockingly swift, the Demon Lord lunged into a running attack. One, two, three, four steps, and swords met with a resounding clash so hard sparks flew.  
The first attack was a test of strength. Neither spoke, they each just watched the other over their blades, faces giving nothing away. Kenpeki's smile had vanished, to be replaced by a cold, calculating mask. Sesshomaru's face was, as always, emotionless.  
Blades sang as they scraped against each other.  
Neither moved, neither gained an upper hand, neither fell back.  
As if on an unspoken agreement, both warriors fell backwards, breaking the contact. Each darted backwards several feet, putting a clearing between them.  
Again, for a few minutes, neither spoke. Each was busy re-evaluating the other.  
After a second, Kenpeki spoke.  
"You have strength, I will give you that."  
"Why have you come here?" Sesshomaru asked, calmly curious. "You said you came looking for Izumi, but how did you know to come here?"  
"The woman told me. Kagome."  
Izumi blinked, startled, "Kagome?"  
"Yes. She told me you were here."  
Izumi frowned, confused. After a second, she blinked.  
"You! You're the demon that was with that man that kidnapped her! You are the demon she spoke of!"  
"I am."  
Izumi scowled, "I'm a fool. I should have remembered your name when she spoke it."  
Kenpeki looked displeased, "Even after hearing my name, you did not remember me? Your title gives you arrogance, woman. Or perhaps you are simply so old you are going senile."  
Izumi glared.  
"Regardless you reasons for coming here," the Demon Lord said, "You would still do well to return to the south. I am feeling generous. Apologise to Lady Izumi, and I shall let you leave."  
Kenpeki blinked at Sesshomaru, and laughed, "Your arrogance knows no bounds! Look at you! You truly believe you will _defeat_ me!"  
"That is not in doubt."  
"We shall see!"  
Kenpeki lunged, bringing his sword down in an overhead sweep. The Demon Lord raised Tokijin, blocking the strike, then darted backwards when Kenpeki make a wide swing, intending to cut him in half.  
Izumi continued to watch, quietly worrying. Kenpeki had been a tough advesary for InuTashio back then. She was worried Sesshomaru's arrogance might get him injured. It was a lesson his father had to learn, not to underestimate Kenpeki.  
Sesshomaru darted back just out of the range of Kenpeki's sword, long hair and clothing trailing his motions, before lunging in himself. Kenpeki darted backwards, just out of reach of Tokijin.  
Sesshomaru pressed his advantage, swinging once, twice, and a third time, each time Kenpeki darting back, back. He lunged around a tree, moving to the side as Tokijin swung, cutting the tree in half with a razor's edge.  
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Sesshomaru turned, following Kenpeki's motions, pressing his advantage.  
A second time, Kenpeki's sword and Tokijin met with a resounding crash.  
This time, the blades squealed as their owners visibly fought, each pushing hard against the other. Kenpeki and Sesshomaru locked gazes, one a deep blue it seemed black, the other a cold gold.  
"Your father couldn't defeat me," Kenpeki said, grinning, "What makes you think you will, _pup_?"  
_"Peasant._", Sesshomaru snarled lowly, a wrinkle across the bridge of his nose, the only sign of his growing anger, and pushed Kenpeki back.  
Kenpeki dug in his feet, and lunged, attacking.  
Again, Sesshomaru blocked his blow, and pushing Kenpeki back again, brought his blade up for a powerful down-swing.  
Kenpeki darted aside, lightning fast, slipping past the Demon Lord's side, bringing his own blade up, flicking it past Sesshomaru's side.  
The blade tip passed inches away from his side, the red end of his sleeves rippling in the backdraft.  
Just as swift, Sesshomaru brought his blade down and around, and Kenpeki ducked, only his hair rippling.  
They darted away from each other, again silent, observing.  
Sesshomaru slightly narrowed his eyes. Kenpeki was fast.  
Not as fast as _he_ was of course, that was simply _impossible_, he thought. But here was a true adversary worthy of his attention. It had been a long time since he had fought anyone worth his full attention.  
Izumi remained silent and still. The bleeding in her shoulder and leg had trickled to a stop, and she didn't want to interrupt Sesshomaru.  
Izumi remembered InuTashio fighting Kenpeki, so long, long ago. InuTashio had despised Kenpeki with a heated passion after the betrayal. The mere mention of his name had been enough to raise anger in his golden eyes. Izumi remembered begging her closest friend to caution, to not let his anger get the best of him. Somewhat like InuYasha, InuTashio, once enraged, could make stupid mistakes. Although like his older son, it was rare to get InuTashio that angry.  
Even the WindScar hadn't done much damage to Kenpeki, she remembered.  
In the end, both Izumi and InuTashio had fought to seal Kenpeki under the temple, alive. It had been all the great Demon Lord had been able to do in the end, exhausted after a four hour long battle. He had utterly refused to let Izumi get involved in any manner, insisting this was his battle, and not hers. Her battle was to stop Keimetsu's forces. Not battle his underlings.  
She closed her eyes, remembering how enraged Kenpeki had been when she had managed to cut off his communication with Oogantaru, and with her Lady's permission, had destroyed him. With Oogantaru gone, Kenpeki hadn't been able to contact Keimetsu. And once he was sealed away, he had been left helpless, while Keimetsu had been defeated, driven back from his attempt to enter this plane of existance.  
Hearing a clang, she opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru and Kenpeki moving again, in that give-and-take, back-and-forth motion of a sword battle. Both men moved fluidly, gracefully, tall, slender beings. Their blades flashed in the sunlight.  
Kenpeki had been at his strongest back then. How weak was he, now, after being out of his prison all this time? Was he as strong now as then?  
She tried to get a look at his blade, trying to remember what his blade had looked like back then. As she remembered, foggily, he had had a powerful blade as well, Tetsusaiga's equal. But what of Tokijin?  
Sesshomaru and Kenpeki darted back, away from each other again, squaring off on opposite sides of the clearing. Several trees had fallen victim to their blades and lay on the ground, their trunks cut off at strange angles.  
As she watched, Sesshomaru and Kenpeki darted at each other, blades swinging. There was no crash this time, as blades aimed for vulnerable spots.  
They passed each other like birds, mid-air, brilliant colors flashing, before they each landed, and turned, regarding the other.  
Kenpeki reached up, and touched his shoulder, where his sleeve had been sliced open, the edges turning red.  
Sesshomaru spoke, voice cool, "I am not easily impressed. At this rate, you will succeed in doing so."  
At that, a small, traitorous trickle of red appeared at his temple, slipping down just past his eye.  
Izumi cried out in shock.  
Frowning, Sesshomaru raised a hand at the tickle, touching it with the heel of his palm. He lowered it, looking at it silently. No sign of shock or surprise showed on his face. He spoke a single word.  
"So."  
Kenpeki grinned, "And are you suitably _impressed_ now, Demon _Lord_?"  
Sesshomaru lowered his hand, raised his blade again.  
"No."  
He lunged.  
Kenpeki raised his sword, preparing to block.  
Sesshomaru swung Tokijin, releasing the needle attack of the blade, and thousands of needles went flashing outwards towards the other demon.  
Cursing, Kenpeki took a step back, and raised his own blade.  
A sudden, red aura appeared around the blade, make it glow vividly. Heat seemed to ripple outwards from the blade, making the air above it dance.  
The needles from Tokijin flashed outwards, and when Kenpeki raised his blade, they seemed to be drawn _into_ to blade, as if the blade were sucking them in, drawing them into itself.  
Sesshomaru paused.  
_What manner of sorcery...?_  
When the needles were gone, Kenpeki raised his blade over his head, pointing the tip towards the sky. A savage grin on his face, he then lowered the blade, pointing it directly at the Demon Lord.  
Izumi cried, _"Look out!"_  
A blade hole seemed to appear directly in front of the tip of Kenpeki's blade, and suddenly, the needles were back, flashing outwards, towards Sesshomaru.  
With a muttered curse, Sesshomaru lunged into the air, attempting to leap out of the path of his own attack.  
Kenpeki laughed, swinging the blade upwards, following the Demon Lord's path; the needles sprayed outward like water from a sprinkler.  
Sesshomaru avoided most of the needles, but a few struck him in his lower legs, tearing through his pants, and slicing into the flesh beneath.  
He uttered a grunt, coming back down and landing roughly, staggering a second as pain shot up his legs. He recovered quickly, and turned his attention to Kenpeki.  
Now the Demon Lord's eyes reflected his anger, the normally cold gold turning hot with emotion. That was two strikes Kenpeki had gotten on him.  
Watching, Izumi felt like kicking herself in anger. Why hadn't she remembered that sword? That was one of the problems InuTashio had had, that it would absorb the WindScar and throw it back. It was an attack that was similar to the BackLash Wave, only in this case, the attack wouldn't be changed into anything else.  
Eyes narrowed, Sesshomaru lunged forward again, sword raised for a strong downward blow.  
Kenpeki brought up his blade, catching Tokijin. He crouched his blade out horizontally before him, Sesshomaru leaning over him, Tokijin bearing down. Anger was on the Demon Lord's face, his brow marred, nose wrinkled.  
the blades squealed against each other a second time, as the two demons brought their strength into play.  
Kenpeki thrust forward , pushing Tokijin back a fraction, and he lunged backwards, rolling to the side. Sesshomaru's strength carried him forward, and Tokijin sank a clear foot into the ground.  
Kenpeki rolled to his feet, and darted past the Demon Lord. Moving swift as the wind, he left Sesshomaru behind him, his eyes now focused on the woman leaning against the tree.  
Growing more and more furious, Sesshomaru yanked Tokijin free, and lunged after him.  
A savage grin appeared on the dark demon's face, bringing his arm back for a forward slash.  
Izumi gasped, and threw herself sideways, falling hard on her right side. Her cry of pain was lost in the sound of the tree she was leaning against become sheared in half, the top portion sliding backwards to come down with a thunderous crash. Rolling over to try and right herself, Izumi's focused on something that settled to the ground before her, something long, and black.  
A long hank of her hair, cut from her head.  
She looked up, horrified, to see Kenpeki grinning down at her.  
"Fast, for a human woman!"  
_"Pay attention!"_ Sesshomaru's furious voice cracked across the clearing like a whip; dazed, Izumi had no idea if he was talking to her or Kenpeki. There was a blur of silvery motion, and the Demon Lord was there, driving Kenpeki backwards from the tree, _"I_ am your opponant, do _not_ turn away from me!"  
"Ohh," Kenpeki laughed, dancing backwards, "What's the matter, demon _lord_, don't like being ignored?"  
"You are a worthless peasant," Sesshomaru snarled, "the very _air_ you breathe is wasted upon you."  
Kenpeki laughed, and their blades rang.  
Izumi half hobbled, half crawled to the nearest tree, and eased herself up again, panting at the pain in her leg. Every time she put any weight on it, it ached horribly. She watched the two demons fight, watching the Demon Lord worriedly.  
_He's getting angry. The fact that this Kenpeki is as good as he is...Amaterasu, perhaps even better... is enraging him. And when he ignores Sesshomaru, that drives him farther into anger. Kenpeki has not lost his ways._  
The clearing they were in was slowly getting larger and larger, as more and more trees were lost to their swings. In one case, Izumi lost sight of them both completely, but was able to tell where they were by the falling saplings and trees.  
Now she could hear more than sword strikes. Both blades were using their powers against each other, also angered. There was a strange sound that occasionally rang out, a dark, unpleasant ringing, and Izumi guessed it must be Tokijin's own aura growing in strength, growing in anger at the other sword.  
She shivered. As Handmaiden, she remembered the sudden agony she had felt when that blade had been forced through her, pinning her to a tree. Someone had stolen Tokijin from the Demon Lord, and had attacked her with it before she had been able to respond. That same person had had the nerve to then basically kidnap Sesshomaru later. The darkness in Tokijin was not to be trifled with.  
Izumi looked down at her right shoulder, where the fall had reopened her injury. With a curse, she grabbed her right sleeve and yanked hard, tearing it free of the shirt. Izumi balled the material up, pressing it to her shoulder, hissing in pain.  
The sound of battle grew louder, and she looked up in time to see Kenpeki come angling in, running along the ground, that smile still on his face. He paused, looking around.  
A shadow fell over him, and he threw himself to the side just as Sesshomaru landed, Tokijin out, the blade sinking deep into the ground. Dirt, grass and rocks went flying with the impact.  
Slowly, he withdrew his blade.  
There was silence in the clearing, save for the panting of both demons as each stared at the other.  
Kenpeki was ruffled, his hair in disarray and wild, several slices and cuts in his clothing, but from what Izumi could see, no new injuries on him. That insane smile was still there.  
Sesshomaru was back-on to Izumi, so she couldn't see his face, but his clothing had several dirty splotches on it, and his usually sleek hair was in disarray. She could visibly see his shoulders moving as he fought for breath, and she clenched her fists.  
_Mother Amaterasu, please, keep him safe. I don't know if he's ever faced an enemy as skilled as this one, and his arrogance may yet do him in._  
She watched Kenpeki as he also fought for breath, and thought to herself, _I need to buy Lord Sesshomaru some time to catch his breath, to catch his second wind._  
She raised her head, _"Kenpeki!"_  
The dark demon's gaze moved to her, and he nodded, "Ah yes, still here? I would have thought you would have scurried back to whatever hole you are living in now, _human woman_."  
"Are you trying to insult me?" Izumi called to him, "You keep emphasizing my human-ness. And my woman-ness. As if I would somehow be insulted by such things."  
Kenpeki grinned, long fangs revealed, "Aren't you? Don't you rankle at the fact you are no longer a Handmaiden? That you are a nothing, a nobody, a mere insect?"  
"And why would that insult me?" Izumi called, "Even insects have their duties, and some are quite important. Bees create food for us to eat. Ants take care of garbage. If you wish to insult me, I'm afraid you are going to have to do better than that."  
"This battle no longer concerns you, _woman_. Leave, while I _allow_ you to leave."  
"Ah, so now you will try to insult me by calling me a woman. Well, in all truth, I would much rather be a woman than a man. Most of you are so conceited and concerned about whether or not you are stronger than this one or that one. We women have put such silliness behind us, and have gained an advantage over you."  
"Oh? Such as?"  
"Well, while we are generally not as strong as men, we are usually much smarter than them. Some of them, anyway. Most of them, in fact."  
_"Smarter?"_ Kenpeki laughed, delighted, "You come out here, walking around, in a weakened, human state, while there are enemies about, and you speak of being smarter?"  
"I think so, yes. After all, _I_ was not sealed away for 100 years."  
His laughing face quickly flashed into fury, reddening and twisting.  
Sesshomaru lunged.  
Cursing, Kenpeki danced backwards, raising his sword to block Tokijin's attack.  
He was not quite fast enough.  
Tokijin's tip carved a line down over Kenpeki's chest, drawing a fine line of blood.  
Kenpeki snarled in fury, and swung his blade up, knocking Sesshomaru's Tokijin up and away, exposing his chest.  
Kenpeki reached out, slapping his hand, palm out, against the Demon Lord's chest, and Sesshomaru was blown back off his feet to go crashing back into the forest, taking out trees and shrubs, his clothing and long silver hair trailing after him like a comet's tail.  
_"Sesshomaru!"_  
"Ha!" Kenpeki crowed laughter, and turned, leveling his gaze on Izumi. He started walking towards her.  
"Now, woman, I will show you the error of your ways.  
I will make you _regret_ mocking me.  
I will teach you to learn _your place_."  
Izumi bent, and having nothing else to hand, grabbed up a slender tree branch, holding it out before her.  
"_Her place_,' came a cold voice, "_is where she __**wishes**__ it to be!_"  
There was a flash of silver, and a long flaying whip snapped out from the forest, catching Kenpeki in the chest. He was thrown backwards, off his feet, slamming up against a large tree, hard enough to rock the tree back, roots tearing up from the ground.  
Izumi turned to see the Demon Lord step from the forest.  
His hair was somewhat snarled, and there was a tear in the violet and yellow sash that hung from his belt, both his hair and sash most likely having been the victim of a tree branch somewhere. His battle fur, his Moko-Moko, was nowhere to be seen. His poisoned whip retracted back into his claws.  
He stepped clear of the brush, and stood there, almost burning in his fury.  
Kenpeki got to his feet, his shirt smoking slightly from the poison working in the material. Blood splattered his chest and chin, but he grinned.  
"I will devour your very _bones_," Sesshomaru snarled, fangs flashing in the sunlight, and his eyes phased red.  
Kenpeki laughed.  
"_No_!" Izumi called out, "You must not fall victim to his taunts, Sesshomaru! Do not give way to your true form!"  
"This _parasite_ **dares** strike me? _Me_?"  
"You are smarter than this, Lord!" Izumi called to him, "Too smart to fall for such a fool's tricks! You do not need to take your true form to defeat him!"  
Kenpeki laughed, "Come come now, _Lord_. Surely you do not listen to this human woman? Why a Demon Lord of your stature-"  
A flick of his wrist, and his whip went flying out.  
Kenpeki was possibly faster than Sesshomaru, but not even Kenpeki was faster than a Demon Lord's whip in full motion.  
The tip of the whip caught Kenpeki fully across the face.  
With a startled scream of agony, Kenpeki was knocked backwards onto his face. He clamped his hands to his face, and screamed again.  
Eyes a cold gold, Sesshomaru raised his hand, and brought his whip whistling down again, to strike Kenpeki in the chest.  
Another sweep of his arm, and the Demon Lord's whip struck again, and again. Each time Kenpeki screamed in pain.  
Before the whip could descend a fifth time, Kenpeki raised a glowing shield about him. Sesshomaru's whip lashed and snapped against the shield, but it was unable to penetrate.  
The Demon Lord lowered his arm, his whip retracting into his claws.  
There was silence, save for Kenpeki's pained gasps as he lay there for a second. Slowly, he managed to sit up.  
Hands still over his face, blood leaked and trickled out among his fingers, down over his chest and lap. One blue-black eye glared at him through his fingers.  
_"Do not think this is over, son of InuTashio! I will return, and I will eat you alive!"_  
Sesshomaru started forward.  
With a flickering of light, the shield, and Kenpeki in it, vanished, leaving only a stench of charred wood behind.  
There was silence.  
The Demon Lord stood there, back-on to Izumi, looking at the place where Kenpeki had been sitting. A breeze came up, pulling at his torn clothing, his mussed hair, causing little dirt devils to skitter over the ground.  
Izumi let her breath out in a long sigh, letting the slender branch of wood in her hands fall to the ground with a clatter.  
She slowly sank to her knees, eyes closed. Gods Above and Below that was too close, far too close.  
Hearing movement, she opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru crossing the clearing to where Tokijin lay, dropped when he had been knocked back into the forest. He bent and retreived it, and after inspecting it, slid it back into it's scabbard.  
Then he turned.  
Their gaze met across the clearing, gold to black.  
Izumi looked him over, at the marks and slight tears on his clothing, at the vivid red blooms on his lower pant legs, his blood a rather shocking red. Her eyes traveled up to his face, to the dried thin line of blood that ran from his right temple to the top of his cheek, to his rather messed hair.  
She didn't know what to say.  
Sesshomaru took the question from her by speaking, his voice hard and angry.  
"What game are you playing?"  
Izumi blinked, looking way up at the Demon Lord, "Game?"  
"He was correct. You are human now. What are you doing walking about this forest with a sword, knowing you have enemies that will take advantage of the fact you no longer have any powers? What acts as a mind within that head?"  
Izumi sighed deeply, and rubbed her face, "You are right."  
Silence.  
Sesshomaru watched her, and grew somewhat troubled. He hadn't expected her to agree with him, certainly not so swiftly.  
"I shouldn't have come out here, I suppose, but I thought I saw...well...I thought I saw something, and came to investigate."  
"You came to investigate," he repeated, as if unable to believe his ears, "A human. A human woman, wandering alone in the forest in these times."  
"Alright, I am sorry, I'm a fool! But it isn't easy to suddenly be...helpless."  
Silence.  
Izumi looked down at her hands, "It will sound very stupid to you, Lord Sesshomaru, but I forget sometimes that I no longer have my powers. For so long I was able to defend myself quite well. It does not come easy to me, to realize I cannot defend myself against demons now, certainly not against demons as powerful as that one."  
Sesshomaru watched her for a second, then spoke.  
"Are you badly injured?"  
Izumi looked up at him, then down at herself, "I...I don't think so. The bleeding has stopped, at any rate."  
She reached back, and used the tree to start pushing herself up, grunting slightly.  
A hand took her left elbow, and pulled her to her feet. She swayed for a second, then looked at him.  
"Thank you."  
He stepped back. Izumi looked down at her injured leg.  
"You never told me my father fought with you against Keimetsu."  
"No, I didn't."  
"Why?"  
"I...I don't know."  
Silence.  
She looked up, looking at him, meeting his eyes, and spoke softly, "I tell you the truth, Lord Sesshomaru. I do not know why I never told you. I should have...you had the right to know, but...perhaps I wanted to keep that memory to myself."  
He said nothing, just looked at her.  
Izumi opened her mouth, then closed it again, not sure what to say. After a second, she tried again, and spoke.  
"Thank you. For saving me from Kenpeki."  
The emotionless mask slid back onto the Demon Lord's face, and he slightly turned from her, "Rin would be sorrowed if anything happened to you."  
There was silence. In the distance, a lone bird peeped, as if asking if it were safe to sing. The comforting scent of newly cut wood drifted across the clearing, the wind still rising now and again to play with their clothing.  
"Well...regardless your reasons...I thank you. It meant a lot to me. As did...what you said to Kenpeki."  
"I'm afraid I have no memory of what I may have said. I was busy battling him."  
Silence.  
"Yes. Of course. I understand."  
Izumi watched him for a second, his profile as he seemed to gaze away into the forest. She smiled a little sadly, then turned, using the slender branch as a cane to take a step.  
His voice came from behind her, "You will stay in the village, and not venture out in this manner again."  
Pause.  
Izumi turned, and looked back at him, "I'm afraid I can't do that."  
Now he turned, and regarded her curiously, "What?"  
"I cannot do that."  
He took a step towards her, "Explain yourself."  
"I may be called on to help someone, Lord Sesshomaru. I may only be a human, but I still have knowledge of things relating to this war. If there is anything I can do to help, I will."  
A faint furrowing of the brow, of confusion, "You will still risk yourself for Amaterasu, even though you have no powers or skills."  
"Yes."  
Silence. He studied her, seeming to get annoyed. When he spoke, his voice was somewhat irritated.  
"What madness drives you to this?"  
She paused, trying to think of the best way to explain to him.  
"Because that is who I am. And even though I no longer have anything to offer my Goddess in the way of powers...I am still committed to this. I still wish to see Keimetsu defeated. That is not Handmaiden, that is Izumi. Even when I was Handmaiden...I was still Izumi. I will still bring whatever I can to this war."  
"At the risk of your own life?"  
"Yes."  
Sesshomaru looked at her, silent for a second.  
"You are the single most foolish woman I have ever met."  
His voice was oddly tinged, there was almost a faint trace of confusion and despair there, despair that he simply couldn't _understand_ what made her work.  
Izumi suddenly found herself laughing; the Demon Lord seemed so lost.  
"I suppose I am," she smiled, "Certainly you are not the first to tell me that, Lord."  
She turned, and started on again, limping very lightly.  
Lord Sessmoaru watched her leave, a strange feeling of confusion and loss, and having the feeling that he somehow lost a battle with Izumi, a battle he hadn't even known he had been waging.


	4. Meeting the Ancestor

The day dawned sunny and bright, and everyone in the village was up early. Miroku was out and about, talking to the people as they started their daily chores. The monk enjoyed spending time at Sango's village. Being raised in a monestary, he grew up with only a few people about, and it was always very sombre. He loved Sango's village, where everyone knew everyone else, everyone seemed to get along, and there was a sort of buzzing harmony to all their movements and daily lives.  
For their part, the villagers had taken to the monk right away. A great deal of that was the monk's own charming ways. His easy laughter and smile often made people feel more relaxed, more content with their daily lives. And it had become apparent, after the previous visit when Sango had been forced to fight for her honour and her village, that there seemed to be some sort of unspoken link between the young demon slayer and the monk. It was apparent they seemed very concerned about the other, fond of each other, perhaps more than fond.  
The village had watched as Sango grew from a little girl to a strong, capable young woman, and it pleased them to see she seemed to have taken an interest in such a kindly young man. And better still, that that young man returned the interest.  
And so people were more than happy to stop and talk to him, greeting him cheerfully, and welcoming him into the daily life of the village.  
"..and you say it's tradition to go to this cave and greet an ancestor?"  
"Oh yes," one elderly lady said, nodding. Her face was a wreath of wrinkles, that seemed to deepen and stretch when she smiled. Her eyes seemed yonug and bright, though, and twinkled when she talked, "It's been that way for many many years. I can remember when Sango's father was taken there as a babe. I was only a little girl then, but I remember it clearly. His father carried him all the way out there, and returned later in the day."  
"Come now, certainly you couldn't possibly have been born back then, you are far too young!"  
The old woman burst into joyful laughter, "Get away with you, I'm not that daft! Young men have tongues of silver, so my mother used to say."  
"Your mother was probably right," Miroku laughed, "I suppose I'll see just what happens when we go out there today."  
"Oh, no, you won't be going."  
"Excuse me?"  
The old woman shook her head, "It's a private thing. Only the parent of the newborn and the babe itself. If we hadn't lost young Sango's father, he would be the one taking the hanyou out there. But alas, we lost him, so it shall be our Sango. Just him and her."  
"I see," Miroku gazed into the center of the village in thought. He had been hoping to see what this ritual consisted of, merely out of curiosity.  
_Perhaps it's just as well Sango is going with him. Somehow I highly doubt InuYasha would have let her father do this, no matter how badly Sango herself wanted it._  
Something surfaced in his mind, and he turned to the old woman again.  
"Excuse me, but I can't help but notice you said something in particular that interests me."  
"Oh?"  
"Yes. You called my friend "the hanyou". What is the general feeling of this adoption that will be going on?"  
The old woman smiled, "Oh, we have no issues with it at all. I merely cannot remember his name...I cnnot remember my own name, some days! Sango has spoken much to us about him. If it had not been for him, Sango truly thinks she would not have been able to get revenge for her father. And she has told us that he has saved Kohaku and herself from some horrible fate, although she will not tell us what that fate was."  
_Her plan. To kill Kohaku, to release him, and then herself. Yes. It __**was**__ InuYasha who saved them both from that. I think kind words would not have sufficed for her, at that time. She needed someone to be harsh, to shove reality in her face, to inspire that drive to never give up, never give in, in that manner that InuYasha seems to have._  
"Well, I should let you be on your way, I don't mean to hold you up," he smiled at her, "I'm certain you have many young suitors awaiting your presence."  
The old woman laughed again, delighted, "Crafty one! Nay, just my old husband, waiting me at home for his tea. Poor thing, his tea is the only thing that helps his digestion."  
Miroku paused in his act of turning, and looked back at her, "And may I ask how long the two of you have been married?"  
She smiled, "66 years now. 66 long, wonderful years, and raised seven children."  
The monk smiled gently at her, "You have been blessed, then, with riches far greater than money."  
The old woman smiled a strange, secret smile, "Time is wasting, young man. Don't delay too long."  
"Er..what? I'm sorry?" Miroku blinked at her, startled, and feeling oddly on the spot.  
But the old woman just laughed, and turned, and started on her way again.  
Miroku watched her go, quiet, lost in thought. He sighed softly.  
_Yes. Time is wasting, I suppose. And who knows what this war may bring? But approaching her is no easy feat._  
"Miroku?"  
The monk gave a startled shout, spinning in place to see Kagome standing there, watching him. She blinked, moving back a step or two, "Whoa!"  
"Ah, Kagome!" Miroku laughed, putting a hand to his chest, "I think you took three years off my life."  
Kagome smiled, "Sorry. I was just wondering if you knew what time we were leaving for the cave?"  
"Well," Miroku smiled. He startled Kagome by taking her arm and linking it with his, and started walking with her towards the visitor's hut, "It appears you and I shall have to spend our day amusing ourselves somehow."  
Kagome, amused, let herself be walked along by her friend, "And what does that mean, exactly?"  
"It means, apparently, that only Sango and InuYasha will be going to the cave. It is a private ritual, that only the adoptee and the adopter attend. That means you and I are on our own."  
"Aww," Kagome said, "I wanted to see what was going to happen."  
"As did I," the monk gave a greatly exaggerated sigh. Then he turned a very handsome, charming smile on her, "But I suppose you and I will have to amuse ourselves some _other_ way. I think that a lovely young woman such as your self can think of something to lift my spirits, hmm?"  
Kagome grinned, "Miroku?"  
"Hmmm?"  
"You want me to cook you breakfast, don't you?"  
He made a face, "You do it so much _better_ than I..."

****************************************************

Shortly after breakfast, Sango and InuYasha left to walk to the cave. Kohaku stayed behind, as Sango was the older of the two of them. Oddly enough, Sango asked Kirara to remain behind as well. She said she would prefer walking to the cave, giving her time to think.  
They set out together, the demon hunter and the half-demon.  
InuYasha was glad it was just going to be him and Sango. The less people there to see him possibly make an idiot out of himself, the better. Especially Miroku.  
The monk _always_ seemed to do everything right the first time.  
As they left the village behind, Sango and InuYasha walked along together, neither speaking, but it was one of those comfortable silences that only family or close friends could make. InuYasha found himself wondering what part in this ritual he was supposed to do. At least he wouldn't have to make a speech or something. Not with one other person there.  
"So..."  
Sango turned her attention to him, and smiled, "Yes?"  
"Am I...supposed to _do_ anything?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"In this ritual...thing. Am I supposed to do anything?"  
He looked so earnest, Sango laughed, "No, InuYasha, you don't have to do anything. Someone will just carve your initials alongside mine on the family shrine wall, and that will be that. You really don't have to worry about doing something wrong."  
He nodded, looking relieved. Sango smiled to herself.  
_A year ago he would have been blustering all over the place, being cranky and ill-tempered. It's amazing the difference one year can make. And amazing what going through so much with a person can do._  
"So," she said, smiling impishly at him, "how are you and Kagome doing?"  
He blinked at her, almost tripping over a rock when he turned to look at her, "Huh!?"  
Sango laughed, "You and Kagome. Things are going well between you?"  
"Yeah...I guess," he said, a faint line of red across his nose and cheeks. He slid his hands up the opposite sleeve, trying to regain his decorum, "I mean, we're not fighting or anything, so that's good."  
"Yes," she smiled, "That's good."  
They walked on again in silence for a little, and then she spoke again, "I was so glad to see the two of you together again, that night. It made me happy."  
InuYasha looked at her, slightly surprised, "It did?"  
"Of course," Sango stepped delicately over an exposed root that crossed the road, "You are happiest when you're with her. And she's happiest when she's with you. You're both good for each other."  
InuYasha stared at Sango as if she were some great sage, "Really? You think that?"  
Sango nodded, her long hair swaying softly as she walked, "Of course. It's very plain to see, InuYasha. She's more content, and _you_ are _way_ more content. You were so upset when she...was...but now that you're together, well..."  
InuYasha nodded, and glanced at her. When she smiled at him, he gave her a slight, shy smile, very rare for the hanyou, but slowly becoming more and more regular.  
They walked on again a little, and InuYasha gazed at his feet as they walked. He found himself in a strange position, of wanting to talk to Sango. Just talk to her, explain things, maybe. He usually only felt that comfortable talking to Kagome, or lately, Izumi. It was strange, and weird, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.  
"I...Kikyo's alive, Sango."  
Sango, walking along beside him, was just about to say, "Yes, I know," when she caught herself. The last thing she wanted was for InuYasha to discover it had been her that had followed him that night, and had seen the encounter between Kikyo and InuYasha. The one where InuYasha told Kikyo his place was with Kagome.  
"She...she is?" she asked weakly.  
InuYasha, still gazing at his feet in thought, just nodded, "Yeah. And she wanted me to go with her. Live with her."  
Sango turned her attention to him, walking along beside him, watching his face, "Oh?"  
InuYasha nodded again, and lifted his head, his gaze ahead on the path they were taking, "I told her no."  
Silence.  
After a second, he looked at her, that stubbron set to his face, as if he expected a fight, or questions, or just someone doing something he didn't expect.  
Sango said nothing, just looked at him in silence for a second, then nodded, and looked ahead again, "Good."  
They walked on again, in silence.  
"Kagome found out, though," InuYasha said again.  
Sango glanced to him, reading his face. It was apparent he had no idea how to even start talking about something this important, not out loud. He started and stopped so awkwardly, not sure how to proceed.  
She said nothing, and let him talk in his own time.  
"I mean...when I told her what happened, she already knew. How the hell could she already know?"  
Sango, suddenly feeling like there was a huge red bullseye painted on her, just shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure she has ways."  
Silence.  
"Does that bother you? That she knew?"  
He shrugged, unable to put his thoughts into words, "No, I just...it makes me uneasy, to think there might be someone sneaking around or something. You know...spying. Maybe Kikyo told her? I don't know."  
"And...how do you feel about her being alive again?"  
Again, the shrug. Again, the pause, and again, the halting speech, unsure.  
"I don't know, not really. I mean...I thought about it a while, you know, and...not her being alive, I mean, I didn't know about that, but...when Kagome was so angry at me, and I thought about her, and about Kikyo, and I just starting thinking about things Kikyo did and things Kagome did and I started thinking that maybe..."  
He fell silent, and Sango spoke.  
"If it's personal, InuYasha, you don't have to talk about it."  
He glanced at her, thankful, then set his face. He looked ahead again, stern.  
No. He wasn't going to make excuses for Kikyo. Not anymore.  
"No, I just realized that Kikyo...didn't care for me...the way I did for her. The way...the way I knew Kagome cared for me. Before I acted so stupid, I mean. And I started thinking how stupid I was because I had what I wanted before, and I threw it away."  
Silence.  
He grew uneasy, and shrugged, blushing, "Anyway...yeah. So...I was stupid. End of story."  
Sango smiled.  
They walked along a little more, birds singing overhead, the sun was strong and bright. It was nice, but Sango thought it would be nice to have some more rain. Things were drying out again.  
She tipped her head up, looking at the leaves overhead. Some were green, others were still in fall colors. Everything was so mixed up.  
"What about you and Miroku?"  
Sango, startled, jerked her head back down to look at him. Her sandal caught a small protruding rock in the road, and she tripped, falling over onto her face.  
"Hey!" InuYasha knelt, taking her by the shoulder, "Sango?"  
Embarassed, Sango pushed herself up off the ground, blushing, pushing her hair out of her face, "I'm ok, I'm fine."  
"Oh yeah?" the hanyou asked, grinning, "Invisible demon push you over?"  
"Ha ha," she said in reply, accepting his help in standing. She brushed off her skirt, shaking her head, "You just startled me, is all."  
"Uh-huh," he grinned, "And the fact I mentioned Miroku had nothing to do with it?"  
"Of course not," she replied, trying to appear non-plussed. She finger-combed her hair back in place, and started on again.  
InuYasha fell into step beside her, saying nothing, just grinning that grin, that made Sango want to yank on his ears.  
She said a quiet prayer of thanks when the entrance to the cave appeared, and they turned off the path.  
The cave entrance was a small opening in a large cliffside, and they almost had to turn sideways to enter. InuYasha's nose picked up the scent of dark, dry, almost stale air. He had been expecting a dampness, as most caves had water in them, and the shadows were often damp.  
There was also another scent underlying that, of old, dry linen and something leathery.  
Sango paused just inside the cavern entrance to pick up a torch from a small pile of them, and some flint and steel. It only took her a second to start a small fire, which she used to light her torch. Then she led the way inside.  
It was only a few steps in before the dias came into view, with what appeared to be a skeleton dressed in leathers, sitting cross-legged upon it. It was slightly reclining onto it's back - probably the only thing that kept it from falling over.  
InuYasha's nose told him it had been there a very, very long time, and had completely dried out.  
"Well...there he is," Sango said softly, "My great-great-great-great-grandfather."  
InuYasha gazed on the skeleton, quiet.  
He was suddenly struck with the thought that maybe he was supposed to say something.  
What was he supposed to say? "Hello"? That sounded crazy. He didn't even know the guy, how was he supposed to-  
"Honourable Ancestor," Sango said, her voice soft in the cavern, and she bowed.  
InuYasha, startled and caught off-guard, snapped forward into a bow so hard he almost lost his footing. He thought it was stupid, talking to a dead person, but he knew it meant a lot to Sango, so if she bowed, _he'd_ bow.  
They stood up again, and Sango spoke again.  
"We usually bring you an infant, or at least a very young child," Sango said, speaking to the dessicated ancestor before her as if it were nothing unusual, "But this adoption is different. I am adopting InuYasha, here, into my family. He is not a child, obviously, but I still wish to adopt him.  
He has..." she fell silent for a second, and InuYasha glanced at her, unsure. But she seemed to be only arranging what she wanted to say, and spoke again.  
"He has proved himself to be my brother, in thought and action, Ancestor. He has been just about everything an older brother should be, to me, and to my younger brother, Kohaku. But he has no family of his own. He has no place to call his. He has no refuge from the world. And so I am giving mine to him, so that he can know rest, and peace and safety if he needs it."  
InuYasha stared at Sango, unable to speak, unable to move.  
Sango raised the torch a little higher, "I am adopting him into our family because I love him, and I want to show to everyone that he is loved, and he has family, and will no longer ever be alone, no matter what happens."  
InuYasha was utterly silent, eyes wide in the low light. He didn't think he could speak even if he wanted to, not now. He looked forward at the ancestor, riveting his gaze on the ancestor, as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing, make sense of what he was feeling.  
Sango was silent, there was only the crackling of the torch in her hand, the low light of the fire casting flickering shadows over the floor and walls.  
"Well," she spoke softly, "I suppose that's all that's needed. I can't exactly remember when Father brought me here, and I wasn't allowed when he brought Kohaku, so I can only go on what Father told me."  
"Yeah...I...yeah."  
Sango lowered the torch, and started to turn, when a strange gust of air seemed to rise up from the floor, causing their clothing to dance and ripple. It smelled dank and almost mouldy, and to the hanyou, it smelled very bad.  
Sango turned, startled, her torch fire wavering wildly in the breeze, causing the shadows to leap up and flare about.  
"What..."  
They both sensed it at the same time; the demon slayer's senses, and the hanyou's nose. They each looked at the other, and nodded.  
Demon.  
Sango turned, raising her torch again, moving a few steps to the side, revealing another entrance in the cavern, this one leading downwards, the entrance looking wet and slick.  
Sango frowned, and handed the torch to him, "Hold this."  
InuYasha took the torch, and gazed down towards the entrance, his nose twitching, as Sango slipped out of her clothing to reveal her armor underneath, "I'm guessing the demon in the chambers below us isn't supposed to be there?"  
"No, it's not," she agreed, and stood up, holding her sword, "Shall we go clear it out?"  
InuYasha glanced back at her, and spoke, "You don't have your Hiraikotsu."  
"I probably wouldn't be able to swing it around in here anyway."  
InuYasha nodded, and holding the torch above him, led the way.

************************************************************

Izumi arose the next morning, and limped slightly out onto the porch. She held up a hand to shade her eyes from the sun.  
Lady Kaede walked around the side of the house, carrying a basket of freshly picked herbs, and nodded, "And hwo do ye feel this morning, Lady Izumi?"  
"Just Izumi, please, Kaede," Izumi smiled, "If you insist on being called Kaede, then I insist on being Izumi. And I am much better, thanks to you. Your healing skills are amazing. I'm sore, and stiff, but feeling rather well."  
"I kept the kettle brewing, if ye are interested in tea."  
"I would love some, thank you."  
The two ladies sat on the porch, and Kaede made tea for Izumi. She brought it out to her, then sat beside her.  
"Are ye not hungry, Izumi?"  
"Oh, no, thank you. I'm still full of the soup you gave me last night. This tea is enough."  
Kaede settled her old frame onto the porch more comfortably, "The man who brought ye here last night was terribly afraid for ye."  
Izumi smiled, "Poor farmer. Yes, he came upon me on the path here after selling some of his produce. He was kind enough to help me back, but he was convinced that whatever attacked me was going to show up again and kill us both."  
Kaede shook her head, "Ye are most lucky Sesshomaru was there."  
"Yes, I know," Izumi nodded, sipping at her tea, "But I am worried about him."  
"About Lord Sesshomaru?"  
"Yes. His father, InuTashio, wouldn't tell me much about Kenpeki and his ways in battle. All I can remember is that he told me once that if he took his true form, that of a giant canine, Kenpeki somehow became _stronger_ than him. And that it was difficult, once he was truly angry, _not_ to assume his true form."  
"And his son, Sesshomaru, has that same temper."  
"Moreso, I believe. I'm afraid the next time they clash, Sesshomaru may not be able to stop himself."  
"Ye told me how ye distracted Kenpeki so that the Demon Lord was able to get his breath back. And how ye warned him against assuming his true form. It seems to me that Lord Sesshomaru was lucky that _you_ were there, for him, as well."  
Izumi put the tea cup down, looking into the dark liquid, "Well, I don't know about that. After all, if I hadn't gone out looking for him in the first place, Lord Sesshomaru might not have even bothered to show up."  
"So," Kaede spoke quietly, "It _is_ your belief that Lord Sesshomaru was protecting ye?"  
Izumi fell silent for a second, then spoke, "I...I honestly don't know, Kaede. It's strange. Our last words to each other were in anger, and rather insulting. And considering the Demon Lord's ego, I'm surprised he bothered at all. And yet..."  
"And yet?"  
Izumi fell silent, thinking back on words spoken during the battle.  
_"Know that I will not allow any harm to come to her, for reasons of my own."..."Her place is where she __**wishes it to be!**__!"_  
She swirled the cup around, thinking.  
The look on his face, when he could not understand what drove her, when he finally had to admit defeat in that her actions were alien to him..._"You are the single most foolish woman I have ever met."_  
Not anger. Not insulting. Just...almost depairing at her actions.  
She suddenly thought of other things he had said to her, over time. Putting emphasis on "my" in "My Lady"...in a possessive tone. Miroku, saying what he and the others thought and noticed.  
_Would_ Sesshomaru come to her aid?  
The only thing that she could see moving the Demon Lord in that manner would be someone acting to injure or damage something he owned.  
Did he somehow think he owned her? Somehow possessed her, because she and his father had been so close?  
She raised a hand, rubbing lightly at her forhead, "I honestly don't know, Kaede. I do not have a single clue as to Sesshomaru's thoughts or actions."  
"Well..." the old woman smiled, "Demon or not, he is still a man, and who knows a man's mind?"  
Izumi blinked at Kaede, and burst out laughing.


End file.
